A Little Bit of Human
by dragonwings948
Summary: When the Meta-Crisis Doctor and Rose go on a vacation with the Tylers, everything's getting along just fine-until the Doctor gets sick. People begin disappearing. An alien appears in the condo. And now a sickly Doctor still has to be clever enough to save everyone. Next installment in my series. Copyright to the BBC.
1. Chapter 1

Rose woke up slowly, relishing in the fact that she could. She stretched, yawned, and smiled at the sight of her own bedroom. Her first thought was of the Doctor, wondering if he had actually slept at all. The clock by her bedside read ten o' clock. Surely he would be awake by now, if he had slept.

Rose rolled out of her bed, her feet landing with a muted thump on the carpeted floor. Looking in the mirror and finding that her hair was a mess, she combed through it and then left her room in search of the Doctor. She knocked quietly on his door, and, when there was no response, opened the door and peeked inside.

There he was, suit and all, curled up in the middle of the bed. His forehead was crinkled, as if he was troubled about something.

"Doctor?" she whispered. Nothing. He was definitely asleep, though his breathing sped up a little bit. He mumbled something unintelligible, his expression staying the same.

Rose walked over to the bed and reached down to hold his hand. She ran her fingers through his perfect hair, impeccable even after sleep. He sighed and his brow smoothed out. He gripped her hand tightly, and his eyelids fluttered open.

"Rose," he murmured gratefully. He smiled and then looked up, his eyes following her arm where her hand was still in his hair.

Rose felt a sheepish smile forming on her face and quickly retracted her hand. "Nightmares?" she asked, hoping to lead his mind elsewhere.

"Yes," he said in a subdued tone, sitting up with a frown. "Thank you. You saved me." He cleared his throat and looked up at her with a smug smile. "And it felt good, the hair thing." He ran his own hand through his hair, yawning as he did so and then smacking his lips.

Still a little embarrassed, Rose didn't reply to that. Instead she watched him with curiosity as he stared off, seeming to be remembering something.

"You all right, Doctor?"

He shook his head and looked up at her. "Yep. I'm fine." He jumped up, still holding her hand, and grinned hugely. "So, what are we doing today? No alien stopping, I'd imagine."

"Mum wants us to stay."

"'Course she does. She's always wanted you to stay."  
"But you'd rather be off traveling."

The Doctor scratched the back of his head, his expression pensive. "I only have one life this time," he mused. "Just a few short years, and then I'll be gone."

Rose sighed, guessing his thoughts. "So you don't want to waste it here. You want to travel the universe."

He smiled. "'Course I do. That's who I am, last of the time lords and all that. But it's not a waste, staying here, as long as I'm with you."

Rose couldn't keep a smile off of her face. He was just so good at saying the right thing; it was unfair.

"So," continued the Doctor, "the important thing is what _you _want to do. Though, I could let you fly the TARDIS if you decide you want to travel..." he added like an afterthought, raising his eyebrows.

She couldn't help but laughing at the memory of trying to fly the TARDIS in the other universe, so many years ago. The Doctor's thoughts must have been in the same place, for he joined in with a hearty chuckle.

"Are you sure you want to do that again?" Rose asked, breathless from laughter.

"Anything to get away from here," he said with wide eyes. In a couple seconds his countenance faltered, and he broke into a huge grin.

"Stop it," Rose muttered, playfully shoving him with her shoulder. "My family's not that bad."

The Doctor stared at her in mock disbelief. "Have you even met your own mum?"

Rose responded with an indignant look, though it took all her concentration not to smile. "Are you this bad every morning?"

"I'm just joking!" he said, raising his hands in the air and putting on an innocent expression with big eyes and raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, and making cheap shots about my mum!" She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing now.

"Not like they aren't true," he muttered under his breath.

Rose looked at him sharply. "Oi!"

"Oi!" He threw the same look back at her.

They both doubled over in laughter. Oh, how Rose had missed their silly banter and his characteristic sassiness. Though she hadn't appreciated it in that year she had spent with him at the beginning, she had longed for it with all her heart after he had left.

"Tea," the Doctor said as they recovered. "All I need is a good cup of tea, then I'll be right as rain." He paused. "You know, I wonder where they got that expression, 'right as rain'. Never understood it. Sure, rain is good and all, but what makes it right? Well, I suppose it could fall to the right. There's this planet where all the rain falls sideways and..."

Though Rose enjoyed his ramblings, her body was begging to be fed. She looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to notice. Finally he caught her gaze and trailed off.

"Right, breakfast." He turned and marched out the door, leaving it open so that she could follow.

A wonderful smell met them outside of the room. Had it smelled like someone was cooking breakfast when she had gone to the Doctor's room? And who was cooking? Certainly not Dad, but why would Mum-?

Of course. She was being nice so that they would stay.

The Doctor grinned. "Someone's cooking." He sniffed the air. "I think I smell that cup of tea too."

"How long did you sleep?" asked Rose as the Doctor tripped down the stairs, barely catching himself from stumbling all the way down.

"About five hours. That's enough for me."

"What'd you do before that, then?"

"Did some more work on the TARDIS, explored a bit..." He paused and looked back at her. "Did you know that there's a cinema in there? An entire cinema! What you would need that for, I can't imagine." He continued down the stairs as Rose tried to imagine the scene in her head.

"We'll have to have a movie night."

He flashed a wide grin up at her.

Almost as soon as their feet touched the wooden floor at the bottom of the stairs, the pattering of little feet grew near. Tony peeked his head around the corner, his mop of dirty blonde hair all in a disarray. He smiled as he set his eyes on Rose, but frowned as his gaze swept to look up and down at the Doctor.

"Hello, there," said the Doctor cheerily, squatting down to meet Tony at eye level. "I don't suppose you remember me. I'm the-"

"Doctor," finished Tony with a smile.

"Ah, well, seems as if you deserve more credit than I gave you."

Tony's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "Why did you leave Sissy?"

Rose shot a glare at her little brother. How in the world had he caught onto that? No doubt Mum blabbed to him about everything when they were alone, since it wouldn't matter to him anyway...

She stepped forward and opened her mouth to tell Tony to leave, but the Doctor responded before she could.

"'Cos I was hurt, in here," the Doctor said simply, placing a hand over his heart.

Tony copied the motion but continued to look seriously at the Doctor.

"But let me tell you, don't ever run like I did. _That _hurt me even more, and I wish I hadn't done it."

It amazed Rose how, though he used small words, the Doctor acted like he was having a serious conversation rather than answering the silly question of a child. Tony seemed to notice it too, because he stood taller and put on a very serious countenance. He seemed to be thinking the words over, until his expression brightened again.

"Does that mean you love Sissy again?"

The Doctor glanced over at Rose with a big smile, and then turned back to Tony. "I never stopped loving Rose, Tony."

"Yay!" Tony exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. He proceeded to run past the Doctor, yelling, "The Doctor is staying! The Doctor is staying!"

Rose laughed and joined the Doctor, who rose from the ground and looked after Tony with admiration. "I've always loved kids. So innocent, so cheery." He wagged his eyebrows at her. "I wonder where he got those questions from."  
They walked into the kitchen, then, where Mum was rushing about the stove and counter, various items cooking or cooling all over the place.

"What's this, Mum?" asked Rose, her mouth watering at the smell of all the good food.

"Can't I just do something nice for my daughter?" she asked.

"I think we skipped 'good morning,'" came a voice from the adjacent dining room. Rose looked to see her dad sitting at the table with a paper in his hands.

"Dad!" It felt like she hadn't seen him in ages. She ran to him as he stood up to receive her embrace.

"Hello, Rose," he said, sounding a little surprised. He pulled away and looked at her with that crooked grin of his. His eyes then turned just past hers, and he stepped to the side. "Hello, Doctor."

"Hello, Pete," said the Doctor, who had moved into the dining room as well.

"Torchwood hasn't been the same without you."

That proud look came into the Doctor's eyes, and he chuckled. "I'm sure it hasn't. You've been getting along, though?"

"Yeah, nothing too big that we couldn't handle in the last few years. I think you attract all the trouble," he said with a laugh.

"Go on and sit down," said Mum as she walked over, bearing two plates of pancakes. Rose sat across from her dad at the polished wooden table. Tony ran in a few seconds later, claiming the seat right next to the Doctor. After bringing everything over to the table, Mum sat down next to Dad.

Breakfast lasted for a long time. Though Rose was only a little hungry, the Doctor seemed to be ravenous. Where it all went in that skinny body, she had no idea. After they had all had their fill, Rose and the Doctor told a brief account of their adventures so far, toning the danger part down quite a bit. Tony seemed to be entranced, staring up at the Doctor with wide, wishful eyes.

"Well," said Jackie after they were done, "all I can say is that you two always find trouble, no matter where you go."

"That's the fun of it," said the Doctor with a wide grin.

Mum shook her head and began clearing off the table.

"Anything planned for today?" Rose asked.

Dad smiled. "You're staying, then?"

"Just for a day or two." She glanced at the Doctor, but he held a stoic expression.

"Ask your mum about it," he responded to her previous question. "I want to talk to the Doctor anyway."

Rose eyed her dad with suspicion as he led the Doctor out of the kitchen. Tony followed, leaving her and Mum alone in the kitchen. Rose walked over to the sink and picked up a dish, running it under the water.

"So what are we doing today, Mum?"

She came up beside Rose. "Well, since I don't know how much we'll be together now...I thought we'd do something as a family."

Rose shot her a warning glare. "Like...?"

"You know Margaret owns that condo down in Florida, she said we could use it any time we want..."

"Florida?" Rose looked at her mum, caught off guard. "A vacation to Florida? For how long?"

"I don't know, at least a few days." She paused and seemed to measure her expression. "You and the Doctor could manage that, couldn't you?"

"Yeah," Rose said, thinking through the situation. This might not be so bad. "We could do that."

Mum smiled. Obviously she had expected a rejection at the offer, but how could Rose refuse? She missed her family just after a few days, and she knew that her mum was sensitive to her traveling with the Doctor.

"Good. We're getting a flight tonight."

"Flight? Why not just take the TARDIS?" Rose looked over to see Mum's distrusting eyes.

"I don't want to set foot in that thing again if I don't have to, even if it's a different one. All it brings is trouble, and who knows where it would land us anyway."

Rose rolled her eyes, knowing it was just silliness. Still, there rang some truth. If the TARDIS wanted you to be somewhere, it would take you there no matter what you thought about it.

"Probably best," she admitted.


	2. Chapter 2

"So you're back for good?" asked Pete Tyler, leaning casually against the wall of the living room.

"Yep. I'm here to stay." The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest, sensing the sternness in Pete's eyes.

"You told her that last time too, you know."

The words hit the Doctor right in his heart. Ah, of course, he was worried about Rose. He swallowed hard, tightening his jaw. "I know." He had thought about it many times. "I never meant to leave her. Human emotions and all that, so much more confusing than-"

"I know what she did to you, but you didn't have to leave. She would've come around."

The Doctor shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down to the fuzzy white rug. "I wish I hadn't." He looked back up to meet Pete's serious gaze, trying to convey his sincerity. It wasn't easy to share his heart to just anyone. His tone grew darker. "Whenever I see Rose, I see the days I missed with her. And it tortures me."

Pete nodded gravely. "I know. It happens to me too."

The Doctor felt a little brighter inside. They could sympathize with each other; Pete must know exactly how he felt. "But I know that I'll never leave her again, no matter what happens. I'm going to spend the rest of my life with her, if she wants me too."

Pete smiled. "I have no doubt about that. I just couldn't see her hurt so badly again."

The Doctor understood his intent and nodded. "I understand."

"Good." He nodded again and pressed his lips together. He cleared his throat and looked back at the Doctor, clearly uncomfortable. "So, she's just going to be your companion again?"

"Bit more than a companion now, I think." The Doctor wondered where Pete was going with this. It wasn't like he was going to confess his undying love for her right now in the living room.

"She loves you, you know."

"I know." He narrowed his gaze, still wondering.

"Are you... Do you..." Pete sighed and finally stared at the Doctor with an intentional and serious gaze. "Are you going to marry her?"

The Doctor's hand flew to his chest almost without thinking, where he could feel the outline of the ring inside his jacket pocket. He pressed his palm there, and scratched the back of his head with his other hand. "Well... I was planning on it at some point, after we got settled again..."

Pete's brow furrowed. "I just don't want to miss it, that's all. I want to walk her down the aisle and do it good and proper. I'm afraid that one day she'll come home, already married..."

"I won't do that to you, Pete. I know what it means to see your daughter get married." Fuzzy memories played back in his head from so long ago, sending a shock of sorrow all throughout his system. He blinked hard and pushed them away to the back of his mind again. Not now.

"Right, I forget about that." He stood up straight and grinned crookedly. "Well, that's all I have to say. I'll leave it to Rose to tell you what the plan is for today."

"Oh, so there's a plan?" The Doctor didn't like the sound of that. He still wasn't overly fond of spending prolonged time with Jackie, and he would rather be off adventuring with Rose...

"It's not that bad," reassured Pete with a chuckle, as if reading his thoughts.

"I hope not."


	3. Chapter 3

"I still don't understand why we aren't taking the TARDIS," complained the Doctor for the millionth time as they walked across the bridge to the airplane. "She's completely safe."

No one answered him. Mum had come up with a witty retort the first time, but she had given up after so many protests.

"Plane rides aren't so bad," said Rose, sidling up to him and frowning at his hard expression.

Then again, she couldn't talk. She wasn't overly fond of plane rides; she would much rather take a zeppelin, but they didn't fly overseas.

"Come on, it's only for a few days." Rose nudged his side with her elbow, smiling up at him and hoping to get a change in expression. He looked down at her with a frown, but it could only hold for a few seconds before it turned into that boyish grin of his.

The Doctor shook his head, stilling grinning. "Just because you can manage to make me smile doesn't mean I'm happy about this."

"And you said you would stay with me if I chose to stay here on Earth." Rose rolled her eyes.

His expression quickly turned to alarm. "I would!"

"You wouldn't last one day!"

He raised his eyebrows as a sly smile spread across his features. "Is that a challenge?"

"One whole day without complaining, and I might just kiss you." They walked onto the plane, and Rose started looking for their seats while the Doctor mused.

"Done," he said as they sat down next to each other. "But it better be a good one."

Rose winked at him with a coy smile. She had to admit that she was grateful her and the Doctor sat next to each other several rows from the rest of her family. Her parents hadn't been able to find five seats together, so they had had to get two and three. Thankfully, they had taken the job of babysitting Tony.

The aisle seat next to Rose was empty, so she sat sideways and stretched her feet out, leaning against the Doctor's side.

"Oh, great, I get to be the pillow," the Doctor said with mock sarcasm, though there was a playful edge to his tone.

_"You _get to be whatever I want, now that you're my-"

Rose stopped herself. "Boyfriend" wasn't the right word for the Doctor.

Rose could feel his vibrations of laughter as he chuckled silently. "Is that what I am? Your _boyfriend?" _

"No! Well, yes, but..." It was true that it didn't fit. "Boyfriend" brought back memories of Mickey and all who had come before him. The Doctor was completely different than all of them, and their relationship was so much deeper, they knew each other so much better.

"It's too _human," _said the Doctor in a sort of disgust. "I don't like it."

"You keep forgetting that you're part _human. _But you're right, you're not my boyfriend." Rose tilted her head back to catch his expression.

"So what am I then?" he asked in a softer voice, though mirth still glittered in his eyes.

Rose turned on her side and cuddled up against him. There was one thing he would always be. "You're my Doctor."

The Doctor smiled, resting his hand on the lower part of her arm. He rested his cheek against the top of her head, took a deep breath, and sighed. "My Rose," he murmured, his thumb beginning to move gently back and forth against her skin.

It was the best feeling. She felt so secure leaning against him, so loved and so cherished. He would always protect her, he would never leave her...

There was a slight lurch forward. Rose's eyes shot open, and she realized that she must have dozed off for a few minutes. Her head was still on the Doctor's shoulder, and the other seat next to her was still empty apart from her feet.

"Better sit up," the Doctor suggested. "We're going to take off soon." He retracted his arm, to Rose's disappointment, but she sat up and scooted as close to him as she could, leaning her head on his shoulder again. He grasped her hand, intertwining their fingers.

Rose sighed. She had been tired, but somehow that few minutes nap had wiped all thought of sleep from her system. Now she was wide awake again, and there was something that was pressing on her mind, though she couldn't quite remember...

"I found something else in the TARDIS last night," the Doctor said conversationally after a few moments.

Last night...last night...ah! Rose bit back her question and played along with him. "Not a weeping angel, I hope."

"Nope, they're all gone." He smiled like an excited child. "It's...Well..." His brow furrowed together. "I think it'll be better if I show you. Remind me when we get there."

Rose smiled, wondering what he could be so excited about. Then, her mind went back to last night again. "I will." She paused and looked up at him seriously. "You know what you said last night...about not being more like the other Doctor?"

His expression hardened and his jaw went taut. "Yeah."

"I don't compare you to him, you know." She squeezed his hand. "Even when you mess up, I don't wish for him anymore."

His eyes lit up a little bit, though his expression didn't change. "I know what I did to the angels. I subjected them to one of the worst deaths in the universe, and I didn't even give them a chance. I was so angry at them for what they wanted to do to you, and what they've done to so many others..." He looked past her. "I didn't want to give them a chance."

"It's gonna take time, but-"

"That's not it." The Doctor set his lips in a hard line. "I don't _want _to be merciful. The weeping angels deserved to die; so did the Governor, so did the Daleks." His eyes blazed like a raging inferno. "My people were good. They didn't deserve to be wiped from the universe. But they were." He swallowed hard, finally meeting her gaze, his eyes holding the same intensity but his voice lowering in volume. "And still their killers lived on. That's why I had to destroy them, every last one."

Rose shrank back at the ferocity of his emotion. She could only imagine the rage and sadness the name of the Daleks sparked in him, and she had seen him almost driven mad with it. She understood his pain, but he had to understand this.

"How does that make you any better than them?" she asked softly, running her thumb over his knuckles.

He stared at her with something like incredulity, and then turned away to look out the dark window. Rose wondered if he was mad at her, and inched away from him. She had only seen him really mad at her once, and she didn't want to experience it again.

Rose began to loosen his hand from his grip and draw it away, thinking that he probably just needed space and time to think. But the Doctor wouldn't let her go. His hand held fast to hers, and he turned his head to look at her with mournful eyes. He shifted to close the distance between them, and Rose smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder again. The Doctor bent down and kissed her forehead.

"Rose Tyler," he murmured, his lips brushing against her skin. Rose's breathing quickened automatically, and she gripped his hand tighter.

"I need you so much. Like I said," he sighed, "I don't know why you stick around. You've never given up on me."

"And I never will," she said, sitting upright, "because you've never given up on me. I stick around because I want to. You're not perfect, but neither was he." She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him with a smile. "Silly alien."


	4. Chapter 4

"Look at us, roommates," said the Doctor with a smile as he parked his suitcase in front of the first bed, claiming it as his own. Rose walked past him to the next bed and fell onto it gratefully.

"Tired already?" the Doctor asked, coming to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Plane rides make me exhausted."

"Not me," he said, shaking the bed as he bounced up and down.

Rose raised her eyebrows. "Of course. You're _never _exhausted."

"Come on," he said, rolling his eyes. "It can't be that bad. I'm going to go do some exploring. Fancy coming with me?"

Rose's eyelids weighed down heavily. She gave him a sarcastic look and shook her head. Even though she wanted to go with him, she could barely keep her eyes open.

The Doctor sighed. "Well, then, I suppose you give me no other choice." He poked her exposed side with his finger, extracting an involuntary giggle.

Suddenly, slumber was a distant thought. Rose pinned her arms to her sides and gave him an astonished look, though, as she thought about it, she really wasn't surprised at his childishness. "Don't you dare."

His lips formed a clever smile. "A little more awake now, aren't you?"

She unconsciously let down her guard, trying to think of something witty to say back. As she did, he tickled her side again, and laughter came unbidden from her mouth.

"Stop," she pleaded breathlessly as she curled herself up into a ball, protecting her sides with her arms. "That's not fair. I bet you're not even ticklish at all."

"Doesn't matter whether or not it's fair, just so long as you come with me."

She looked at him disapprovingly. "And _that's_ being manipulative. You know, I might just take back all those nice things I said about you earlier."

He raised his chin in the air and sniffed. "Ah, manipulative, says the girl who bats her eyelashes at me and tells me she wants to go home."

"That wasn't how I said it!" Rose shoved him off of the bed and sent him tumbling onto the carpeted floor.

"Was too," he mumbled as he stood up and brushed himself off, putting on his best look of annoyance. "You don't know what it does to this poor human heart," he added in a louder voice, his big brown eyes resembling that of a wounded puppy.

Rose smiled to herself. She had just found her ammunition. With determination she pushed sleepiness to the back of her mind, hopped off of the bed, and stood in front of the Doctor. She looped her arms around his neck, and leaned forward so that her lips brushed the outside of his ear.

"Doctor," she whispered, "I'm very tired. Can we go exploring tomorrow, please?" She ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, and pressed her cheek against his. This close to him, she could feel his heart beating rapidly. He swallowed audibly and breathed a shaky sigh.

Rose pulled away, smirking proudly at the slightly dazed look on his face. After a few seconds the Doctor's eyes narrowed and stared into hers. "And you think _I'm _unfair."

Before Rose could get anything out, the Doctor's lips were against hers in a tender kiss. Though she was surprised, she didn't question it. She leaned into him, all other thoughts in the back of her mind...

"Oh!"

Their lips were torn apart as Rose found her feet disappearing from under her. Her breath came out in a whoosh as a soft exclamation, and she suddenly found herself lying horizontally and looking up at the Doctor's cheeky grin. His arms were braced under her, and he began to walk toward the door.

As she realized what he had done, she unknotted her fingers from his hair and smacked his chest with her palm. "That's cheating!"

"Is not!" His grin was unwavering. "I suppose we're on our way to explore, then."

Rose shook her head. Though she knew that she could have struggled and gotten out of his grip, enough of her wanted to go with him that she didn't. However, she did cross her arms and make a grumpy face at him.

They exited their room and entered the kitchen and living room area, where Mum was watching the telly with Tony curled up and asleep next to her. The Doctor put Rose down on her feet just before Mum looked toward them, his arm around her shoulders.

"Pete went to the store for food," she announced.

"Good." The Doctor beamed at her. "We're going to have a look around."

Mum shook her head. "You two never stop, do you? Aren't you tired?"

Rose almost tried to make her last escape, just so that she could beat the Doctor. She opened her mouth to voice her sleepiness, but the Doctor, with that gigantic gob of his, had words tumbling out of his mouth before she could even think of what to say.

"We're quite awake, actually. Maybe a little on the sleepy side, but not enough to turn up our noses at adventure. Eh?" He looked over at Rose, his expression triumphant.

She gave him a look that she hoped conveyed, "This means war." He chuckled silently and then turned back to Mum.

"We'll be heading out, then. Won't be long, probably." Practically dragging Rose along behind him, the Doctor made a beeline for the door and pulled Rose outside, closing it hard behind her.

"Didn't mean to do that," he muttered, as the sound echoed through the hallway. He patted his jacket, and reached inside one of his pockets. After a moment he nodded. "I have the key." And before Rose could protest, the Doctor grinned wickedly and scooped her up in his arms again. His eyes gleamed with pride. "I win."

"For now," Rose added, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You have to admit that it was brilliant."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Sure it was. And completely unfair."

He smirked, but didn't carry the argument further. "Where are we going?"

"I thought you knew." Rose examined the emerald carpet and cream walls; nothing really exciting.

"Nope. How about the top floor? There's always something on the top floor." He strode toward the lift and walked straight in, pressing the button for the fifteenth floor.

As much as Rose loved being in the Doctor's arms, she knew that he was going to get tired at some point but wouldn't let on. "You can put me down, Doctor," she said quietly.

He raised his eyebrows, as if to ask if she was sure. She nodded, and he carefully set her down on her feet. He looped her arm through his, and then a "ding" went off in the lift.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying the story! Please write a review! I want to know what you think :) There will be a few more cute chapters here, and then the action will pick up. Thank you for reading and for all the follows/favorites!**

"Well, off we go." The Doctor tugged Rose along, walking at a leisurely pace down the hallway. It was almost identical to the floor their condo was on, but the Doctor kept on anyway. Rose mainly watched him, enjoying his change in facial expressions as his eyes flickered back and forth.

"Oh, what's this?"

Rose followed the Doctor's gaze to a green door with a plaque that read "Maintenance Only."

"Probably just a closet."

The Doctor knocked on the door softly with his knuckles. "Sounds too hollow to be a closet. Let's have a look..." He whistled idly, looked back and forth down the hallway, and then pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. The screwdriver buzzed, the Doctor flipped it in the air and caught it deftly, and opened the door with ease. It opened into a dark hallway with a thin, metal staircase at the end.  
"Whaddya say?" he asked, grinning at her and nudging her with his elbow. "Should we see what's behind that door?"

"Whatever you want," she mumbled sleepily, becoming more complacent as they went on. "You won."

"Aha! Now it finally comes out." He pulled her closer to him and continued on down the hallway and up the creaky steps, pausing at the top to sonic the door.

The Doctor pulled the door open with a squeak, and a cool breeze immediately began to tousle Rose's hair. She pushed the blonde locks out of her face, and walked out onto a hard, flat surface. Above, a full moon shone down on them, accompanied by millions of tiny, bright stars. Ahead lied the ocean, the waves lapping up the sandy shore little by little. On either side stood the adjacent condominiums, and behind them was a vast river.

Rose could feel the Doctor's eyes on her as she took it all in. It was so captivating, so different than back home. Suddenly sleep didn't seem so important anymore; she perked up, the wind whistling in her ears, and held on tighter to the Doctor. It was too perfect for a spontaneous trip through the building.

She turned her head and looked at the Doctor suspiciously. "Did you plan this all out?" She felt a smirk come through her expression. "Are you trying to be romantic?"

He smirked, slipped his arm out of her grasp, and wrapped both of his arms around her waist. He pulled her close to him, their heads only centimeters away. With the same cocky grin on his face and one eyebrow raised, he spoke in a soft, joking voice. "Is there something wrong with that?" Rose's breath caught at his sudden closeness. "No," she said in a hoarse voice, her mouth suddenly dry.

Seeming to be amused by her reaction, he lifted a hand to push a loose strand of hair from her face and tuck it back behind her ear. "I do have three years to make up for."

_Three years._ Though he was still half-joking, the words stuck in Rose's mind. She had missed three whole years of the Doctor, of this warm feeling that was present throughout her entire being.

"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked, now concerned.

Rose shook her head. There was no use burdening him with it. "Just...memories."

The Doctor gulped. "Do you mind if I see?" He placed his palm on the side of her head, his eyebrows furrowed together.

Rose contemplated. He had never looked into her head before, and the idea of it was more than a little daunting. There was nothing to hide from him, but she wondered how it would feel, having someone probe her mind. The closest she had come was probably when Cassandra had stolen her body, but this was different; more in depth, more personal. The Doctor would not only see her memories, but feel her emotions as she experienced them, read her thoughts...

"Go ahead," she said, finally making up her mind. He deserved to know, anyway. She had told him about the sleepless nights, tossing in turning in her bed as guilty nightmares plagued her mind, but now he would know exactly what it had felt like.

The Doctor let out a long breath through his nose, closing his eyes. He placed his hands on either side of her face and pressed two fingers from each hand on her temples. Rose's sleepiness came back to her in a wave, and she staggered forward, catching herself on the Doctor's shoulders.

"Easy, there," he said with a smile, his eyes still shut. He leaned his forehead against hers, and Rose closed her eyes.

She could feel the Doctor in her head, an overwhelming warm and comforting presence. At first her mind was blank, but then her most recent debate on whether or not to let the Doctor in her head came back to her.

"It's okay," he said, pushing the thoughts away without even taking a glance at them. His voice sounded far away, like it was in a dream. "If there's anything you don't want me to see, just picture something blocking it. I promise I won't look."

Rose nodded slightly, and then suddenly the Doctor brought up her troubling thoughts from earlier about the years they had spent apart, like gentle fingers probing her mind. He conjured up old, buried memories from those years when she had been so lonely and hurt. There she was, crying herself to sleep another night. All three years passed through her mind in a blur. The feeling of that pain was so real, so tangible, that she had to grip the Doctor's shoulders to remind herself that he was here, everything was okay. He knew now, though. He knew how much she had regretted it, how much she had wished for him.

"Oh, Rose," he said with pity. He paused and inhaled a deep breath as Rose resurfaced the most painful memory she had; the forbidden thought, the day that never was, her own personal doomsday.

The Doctor began to push it away. "No, Rose, you don't have to-"

"It's okay, you're here now." She focused on the memory again. Words couldn't express the depth of her love for him, but maybe this scene could.

She stood there on Bad Wolf Bay, talking to a hologram of the Doctor. She couldn't stop crying. It was their last goodbye. And before he could finish his last thought, the words she had always longed to hear, he faded away, gone forever. The Doctor. _Her _Doctor.

"I'm sorry."

No, wait. That wasn't her Doctor. _This _was her Doctor, the one who would never leave her again. She held onto him tighter, holding onto reality.

"I'm so sorry," her Doctor said in a broken voice.

_Enough of that, _she thought, wondering if he could hear it. Replacing the images he had brought up, she remembered when he had kissed her for the first time the other day after they had danced. The joy, love, and ecstasy were all there, just as she had felt it. And she recalled when he had held her hand, said her name as an excited exclamation, wrapped his arms around her, told her that he loved her...

Suddenly the connection broke, and it took Rose a minute to realize that her Doctor was really kissing her. Coming back to reality was a slight shock, and she had to take a breath. She leaned back and broke away, taking in a huge draught of the fresh, salty air.

"Too much?" the Doctor asked. Rose realized that one of his hands cradled the back of her head, stroking her hair. His eyes looked straight into hers, sizing up her condition.

"Yeah. Bit of a shock." She relaxed her arms, which she realized had been stiff, and ran her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.

"Sorry, got a bit ahead of myself."

Rose stepped closer again, having regained her breath. "You're not sorry," she stated with a laugh.

He grinned and wrapped his other arm around her waist. "No," he said, bringing his head closer, "No I'm not."

He kissed her again, holding her close. It was funny how it seemed like the whole world could wait. Nothing else seemed to matter, time just stood still. It was the Doctor and Rose, like it always should have been. Like it always would be.

Rose pulled away in the end, short of breath with her head reeling. "Do you even have to breathe?" she wondered out loud with a shaky laugh. She had to hold on to the Doctor to steady herself, clutching the back of his jacket.

He chuckled but didn't say anything, still keeping her close to him. He just smiled at her, and then frowned, as if he was thinking. "Would you like to see into my head?" he asked finally. "It won't be the same, but it's only fair."

Rose nodded, and she had to admit that she was eager for it. She had often wondered about his thoughts; especially the other Doctor's. How much would he let her see?

He repeated the process as last time, pressing her temples gently. "What do you want to see?"

Would he really show her anything? "I don't know; whatever you want."

A scene came into her mind of the inside of the old TARDIS with its worn, brown metal and coral stretching up to the ceiling. The screen on the console showed her sobbing in the middle of a beach, a few distant figures in the background.

"I love you," the version of her on the screen said as a broken sob.

The Doctor's heart soared. He had always longed to hear that. He loved her too, so much, even if it was too late. It was a tragedy like Juliet and Romeo; doomed before it even began.

"And I suppose," he said, holding back tears. He knew if he let go he would be blubbering like a baby. "If it's my last chance to say it...Rose Tyler..."

Beep beep. Beep beep. "Connection lost," the TARDIS announced in a mechanical voice.

He could only stare ahead in disbelief. "I love you," he formed with his lips, though he couldn't say it out loud. One lonely tear tracked down his cheek, and then another.

And then came the blubbering. The moment when he went mad with grief. He collapsed onto his knees, his fists hitting the metal floor with a loud clang. No. This couldn't be real. He couldn't be losing her. _His _Rose. His life. And she didn't even hear it, how he had always felt about her.

But the Doctor forced himself to go on. That's how it had always been. He could never stay in one place, or dwell on one thing for too long. The universe needed its protector, and he was about to be caught up in the explosion of a sun.

He got up slowly, breathing shaky sighs. Walking the few steps to the console felt unreal, as if in a dream. His hand cradled the screen, where Rose had been just moments earlier. "I've always loved you," he murmured as if she could hear him, "and I always will."


	6. Chapter 6

Rose took a sharp breath as the scene was sucked away and opened her eyes. The Doctor's fingers slipped from her head. He stared at her, his eyes wide and morose. He blinked a few times, and he seemed like he was back to normal, other than a deep sadness behind his eyes.

Rose couldn't say anything. The depth of his emotion had overwhelmed her. Hearing his thoughts, living his feelings... it was more exhausting than she would have ever thought.

The Doctor still just stared, his body limp and face now expressionless. In a sudden moment, in one gigantic leap, he grabbed her into the biggest hug, squeezing her so hard she thought he would never let go. But he did, finally, and a tear made its way down his cheek.

"I've never relived that memory before then," he said in a trembling voice. "I always tried so hard not to."

"It's alright," she consoled him, wiping away the tear and taking both of his hands in hers. "I'm here now, and I'm not going anywhere."

He gripped her hands and pulled her closer to him. "But now you know. That's exactly how I felt when I lost you...both times."

Rose reached up and ran her hand through his hair. "And I'm sure it was worse the second time."

"Yeah," was all he replied, swallowing hard as his big brown eyes bored into her.

Though she knew that she was forgiven, Rose still felt guilty for all the hurt she had caused him. She raised herself up on her toes and pressed her lips against his, just for a few moments this time. But as she drew away, he leaned forward and captured her lips again, cradling her head in his hands.

Rose began to laugh as she pulled away. "I'm going to collapse if you keep kissing me like that."

"Wonder how long it would take," he said, raising his eyebrows, as if seriously considering it. His morose mood seemed to have gone away completely, a lopsided smile now replacing the frown on his face.

Rose shook her head and stomped on his foot; not too hard, but hard enough to get the point across. "You've been acting strange tonight."

"Ow!" He jumped up with an injured expression. "Kissing you is strange?"

"It is for you."

He flashed a grin. "New Doctor. _Your _Doctor. Remember?"

Rose's heart fluttered as he called himself _hers. _"Still..."

The Doctor reached for Rose's hand. As he led her across the concrete rooftop of the building, Rose realized that she had forgotten where they were. It didn't matter when she was with the Doctor.

There was a small drop off, and the Doctor leaped down, still holding Rose's hand as she followed suit. He sat against the ledge, just a few feet from the edge of the building, facing the ocean and the full moon. He crossed his legs and looked up at Rose with smile, inviting her to join him. She sat down next to him as close as she could, pulling her knees up to her chest and leaning her head on his shoulder. Her eyes drooped as he spoke in a soft voice, carrying on the conversation they had been having just a minute ago.

"I learned a lot of things when I was away from you, Rose. Very _human _things. I realized that I'm not the immortal god I once was. I have a short life, and I want to make the most of every moment with you." He put his arm around her shoulders and leaned his cheek on the top of her head. "I used to be so afraid at the thought of showing any type of real affection toward you, because I knew that our story couldn't go on forever. And I knew those memories would haunt me."

"You cheated," Rose said with a smile, several memories presenting themselves in her mind.

"Couldn't help it. All those times I hugged you..."

"That kiss in Rome..." Rose remembered it well. The first and only time the Doctor had actually kissed her (and she had remembered it).

The Doctor was silent for a couple seconds. "I forgot about that! I didn't want to think about it after...well, you know." He chuckled. "Ah, yes. That was a fun trip. Got thrown into the Coliseum-"

"Both got turned into statues..."

"I had just gotten you back from being a statue, and then poof! Petrified, literally. I have to admit that I was a bit scared. I could still think, but I couldn't move at all, and my eyes were glazed over. Couldn't imagine living for all eternity with only your thoughts to keep you company. But you figured it all out and saved me."

Rose recalled his stone figure turning back into flesh and blood, his brown eyes coming to life and his hair rippling back into its lively self. A second of pure joy crossed his face, but at the same time understanding, like he knew that she would save him all along. And then, without warning, he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her.

"The girl who never gives up," her Doctor murmured, bringing her back to reality.

Rose closed her eyes, unable to hold them open anymore. "How could I," she mumbled, "if you're on the other side?"

He chuckled quietly. "Ready to go back?"

"No."

"Alright then." He drew his arm back and rested his hand on her neck, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek.

And in just a few moments, Rose was fast asleep.

**A/N: If anyone was wondering, no, I actually didn't make up the part about them going to Rome. If you haven't read any of the official Doctor Who novels, you really should because they're amazing! Just as good as the actual episodes. And David Tennant actually narrates some of the Tenth Doctor audiobooks, including the one I alluded to in this chapter, The Stone Rose by Jacqueline Rayner. That is my favorite so far because the Doctor and Rose are so cute...and yes, they actually do kiss. It's not romantic or anything but it's still really adorable. :)**


	7. Chapter 7

"Doctor?"

The Doctor stirred and popped his head up, inhaling a deep breath and flexing his arms and legs, which he found were very stiff. He looked down to see Rose in his lap, leaning her head against his chest and looking up at him. His arms were wrapped around her midsection, holding her to him. When had this happened?

Ah, yes. He remembered now. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder, and because he hadn't been tired yet, he had watched emotions flicker on her face. She had had a nightmare, so he had carefully shifted her onto his lap and taken it away.

It had been about him again. They usually were; either him, or her family. He hated that he was the object of her turmoil, but her nightmares kept persisting. It was almost odd, how many she had been having...

And it wasn't just her either. Bad dreams about Rose and memories about Gallifrey had been plaguing his mind in the middle of the night. Was it just him, or was there another factor to their nightmares?

Storing the thoughts carefully away, the Doctor looked down at Rose and smiled. "How'd you sleep?"

She snuggled into him and sighed. "Great." Her eyes took in the rising sun and the red sky. "Mum will be wondering where we are."

The Doctor relished the feeling of having her in his arms. "Oh, she'll be fine."

There was a long silence until Rose stirred and began to stand up, stretching. "We'd better go back."

The Doctor groaned. "I'm not ready to face domestics again," he whined. "I like it with just-" He stopped as Rose smirked at him with a knowing look. "What?"

"Our bet."

The Doctor clamped his mouth shut and cleared his throat. Right, no complaining. Though he knew he could steal a kiss from her easily, as he had last night, he wanted to win the bet for bragging rights.

He put on a big smile. "You're right, we'd better go back. Wouldn't want to miss an exciting day with your family!" he said with fake enthusiasm.

Rose laughed. "That's the spirit! Don't worry," she added, "I'll let that one pass. Bet's still on."

Stretching his legs, which were very much asleep, the Doctor yawned. His stomach growled, telling of its emptiness, though he had just stuffed himself the night before. His human and time lord body was still so strange. Would he ever get used to it?

Though it still felt like pins and needles were stabbing his legs, Rose was waiting, and so was his stomach. He jumped onto his feet, but his legs failed him, nearly sending him toppling over the edge of the building. His jacket was grabbed from behind, and he was forcefully jerked back from the edge and into Rose's arms.

"Thanks," he breathed. He stomped his feet on the ground, bringing feeling back into his legs. "That should do it."

"Don't you ever do that again." Though her voice sounded joking, her eyes were serious.

"Yes ma'am." He grabbed her hand and dashed toward the door that would take them back into the building. They made it back down to their condo in just a few minutes, and the Doctor reached inside his jacket pocket for the key card. He swiped it through the reader above the door handle, and then pushed the door open slowly.

It was dark inside, as all the blinds were shut tight. The Doctor had almost expected Jackie to be waiting right inside so she could smack him with something, but all was quiet.

Rose shut the door behind them. "Everyone must be asleep." She pulled a mobile out of her pocket and clicked a button. The time appeared on the screen, 6:17 AM.

"Where'd you get that?" the Doctor murmured, nodding at the phone.

"Mum got it for me before we went to the airport. She wanted me to keep it with me."

The Doctor's stomach grumbled again. "Sh!" he said, looking down at the complaining body part.

Rose giggled quietly and pulled him toward the kitchen. Hopefully it was far enough away from Jackie and Pete's room that they wouldn't hear them.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked, opening up the refrigerator. The Doctor peeked over her shoulder to see that it was fully stocked with several food items, from peanut butter to eggs to apples.

"No," the Doctor argued, gently nudging her out of the way, "what do _you _want for breakfast?" He figured since he was practicing domestics with Rose, he might as well be the gentleman.

Rose eyed him warily. "I can do it."

The Doctor chuckled, catching the real reason behind her insistence in her expression. "I can make edible food, don't you worry Rose Tyler. I had to fend for myself for three years, remember? I actually got pretty good at it."

She smiled, though she still seemed a little hesitant. "Eggs sound good."

"Eggs it is, then." The Doctor pulled out the carton of eggs and glanced back at Rose, who was leaning against the counter and watching him. "Scrambled?" he asked, enjoying her still wary expression.

"Yeah."

After shuffling through a few cabinets, he finally found the bowls and plucked one out of its place. He cracked two eggs into it and stirred them with a fork, his mind concentrating on what to do next. After reverting back to the time lord part of his brain for operating the TARDIS and saving the world, it was a little difficult to remember what being human was like.

"So what did you do after you left?" asked Rose quietly, breaking his reverie.

"Couldn't do much for a while." The Doctor sprinkled salt and pepper onto the eggs. "Didn't have anything to my name except for my suit and my TARDIS, and she was no help at that point in time. I didn't even buy my plane ticket to Scotland, just used my Torchwood I.D."

"What did you do?"

The Doctor sighed as he recalled those few weeks, getting rained on everyday and sleeping outside on the grass. Really, it wouldn't have been all that bad if he had had a decent amount of food. "Looked for a job during the day, found food wherever I could, and slept in parks or anywhere else outside when I got tired. An internet cafe hired me eventually, after seeing how I knew a lot about computers. The chips always reminded me of you." The Doctor shook his head. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. "But that didn't last for long," he added quickly as he poured the eggs into a pan on the stove. "A man named Davis came into the cafe one day, saw me working on a broken down computer. Said I had talent. Turns out he worked for Apple, so..."

"You worked for Apple?" Rose blurted out a little too loud. Her eyes widened and they both stood stock still, but nothing stirred. "They're the _only_ mobile phone company," she added in a heated whisper. "They don't just hire anybody!"

"Do you think I'm just anybody?" asked the Doctor with a cocky smile in her direction. "Let me get there. Anyway, Davis found a way for me to get an interview with Apple, even lent me a suit and all. Good mate. Wonder how he is..." The Doctor felt a small pang at the absence of his friend. He would have to drop by and see him sometime. "Well, long story short, they hired me for customer service, answering the phone and all that, but then promoted me to a programmer and developer."

He hummed in the back of his throat as he pushed the eggs around in the pan, waiting for some sort of response. After a few seconds of silence, he glanced over at Rose.

She was gaping at him, eyes bugging and mouth wide open. "But- How-?" she stammered. _"You were a developer for Apple?" _

The Doctor shrugged. "Yep." He poked the eggs with the spatula. They seemed to be done. He reached for a plate in the cabinet next to him and slid the eggs onto it. He smiled at Rose, who still seemed at a loss for words. "Breakfast is ready." He slid the plate in her direction.

"How much did you make?"

The Doctor smiled to himself. If just being a developer would shock her, then she would really get a kick out of this. "Just over seven hundred thousand," he said nonchalantly. It had never meant much to him, just something to keep a flat and buy food with.

"Seven hundred thousand," she repeated, her lips barely moving. "And you just left it all?"

"It wasn't important." He grabbed a couple more eggs and began the process again. "All I could think about when I went back for the TARDIS was getting back to you. The money never mattered to me, and neither did the job. They were just to get me by."

The Doctor looked back at Rose again. After a few more seconds she shook off the shock and looked down at the eggs. Grabbing a fork from the drawer next to her, she took a bite. Her eyes brightened as she chewed, and she looked at the Doctor with approval.

"Told you! I'm not just a good-for-nothing millionaire."

Rose chuckled and shook her head. "Still can't believe it. You'll be all over the papers soon, you know."

"Will I?" he mused, turning back to his eggs. "Doesn't matter. We'll be on a different planet, thousands of years after it happens." He flashed a wide grin at her. His entire body grew jittery at the thought of traveling in the TARDIS again. It couldn't come soon enough.

Rose smiled back, that bright smile with her tongue poking through her teeth that just made the Doctor's heart melt. He forgot about everything else for a few seconds; it was just her. And to think that she was his, and she would always be his...

"Doctor?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

He shook his head and looked back down at his pan of eggs. What was next again? Right, first he grabbed the spatula...

"Thinking," he responded in answer to her unspoken question. Doubtless she was wondering why he had been staring at her. "Still getting those human emotions in order."

"Is it hard? Adjusting to being human, I mean."

The Doctor paused. "Sort of..." he said slowly. "On one hand it feels natural because of that part Donna in me. On the other hand...being human is nothing compared to being time lord. Completely different brain functions, emotional swells, all that. I can still feel time. It's all in my head. But I see it in a different way; brighter, more...human." He still hated to admit that he was part of this fickle, bipedal species. Of course he was happy that he could spend a life with Rose, but the drawbacks weren't fun. She was still more than worth it, though.

The Doctor flipped his egg onto a plate and grabbed a fork that Rose had pulled out for him. They didn't sit down, but leaned against the countertops across from each other, silently eating their breakfast.

"What's different about human emotions?" asked Rose eventually, setting down her empty plate and fork.

"More overwhelming," he mumbled over a mouthful. After swallowing he tried again. "When I was a time lord, I could usually separate my feelings from my reasoning. It was easy, even though my emotions were a lot more intense. Now as a human..." He chuckled ironically. "You lot are _all _emotion. It colors everything you do, say, think... Not that the emotions are intensified, but they take over my head more, if that makes any sense."

Rose nodded. "I think it does." She smiled at him and gestured to her plate. "You're better at being human than I thought you'd be."

"Maybe at some things," he agreed, though he knew the emotional part was still hard to get under control. That was the reason why he had left Rose. He wouldn't have done that as a time lord...would he have?

"What are you going to do next? Wash the dishes?"

Oh no. That was one thing he absolutely detested. Distraction time. "I can if you want," he forced out, trying to be polite. At the same time, he racked his brains to think of something that would grab her attention...

"Oh!" As he shoved the last bite of eggs in his mouth, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and whisked her into their room just a few steps away. He couldn't believe he had almost forgotten about the surprise.

The Doctor flipped open his suitcase and dug through until he felt what he was looking for. He looked up at Rose, bouncing on his toes and unable to contain his excitement. "Remember how I told you I found something in the TARDIS last night?"

Rose nodded and raised her eyebrows.

With a flourish he pulled out the light brown trench coat, holding it up in front of him. Rose's eyes lit up, but her expression soon faltered.

"That's his, isn't it?"

"Yes and no. The TARDIS reproduced it from my memories, but it's the exact same one, as far as I can tell." He shrugged it on, the weight and long sleeves feeling so familiar and just right. "Like it?"

She beamed at him again. "It's perfe-"

"Where in the world have you two been?" Jackie pushed the door open and stomped in, her hair sticking out in every direction. It was all the Doctor could do to keep from laughing.

"We just lost track of time, Mum. I-"

She huffed. "I tried to call you!"

Rose bit her lip. The Doctor knew she didn't like worrying her mum. "Sorry."

"At least let me know where you're going, sweetheart." She cast a glare at the Doctor and then walked out promptly.

"Not as big as I expected," admitted the Doctor.

"Yeah," agreed Rose in a small voice. "It's the morning. She's too tired to get in a real fuss."

"What now?" asked the Doctor, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Rose pushed her shoulder against his back and began to shove him toward the door. "Family bonding time!" she said enthusiastically.

"But-" The Doctor halted in his tracks, their bet coming to mind. He would win this. "Sounds like fun."

"That's what I thought."


	8. Chapter 8

Rose glanced down at her tank top and shorts, feeling out of place with her pale skin. She hadn't had occasion to wear these in years, since they had vacationed to Australia. Her bathing suit underneath felt uncomfortable now, but it would probably feel better later once she was in the water. Now, sitting on her bed, it felt unnecessary.

There was a quiet squeak, and the bathroom door opened to reveal the Doctor in a t-shirt and swimming trunks that came down to his knees. With sunglasses perched on his head and a few sunscreen smears on his face, he looked like the epitome of a tourist.

Rose couldn't help but laugh at the sight. It was so unlike him, even just his clothes. She hadn't seen him with short sleeves since they had gone to Space Florida.

"What?" he asked, looking offended. He patted the red swimming trunks and furrowed his brow. "Not my color?"

"No, no. Come here." She waved him forward, still shaking with laughter. He came to stand in front of her, looking down at her in question. Rose reached up and rubbed his neck, where a huge splotch of sunscreen hadn't been rubbed in. She then moved onto his cheeks, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

"There's something called a mirror that we humans use," joked Rose.

The Doctor huffed. "I can forget every once and a while, can't I? Only human, you know." He opened his eyes and winked at her.

She shook her head as she smeared one last white dot across his skin behind his ear. "You know that's not true. There, all done." She backed away and nodded at him. "Now we're ready."

The Doctor rubbed his hands over his arms and looked down self-consciously. "Not used to my arms being so...exposed. Feels strange." He kept his arms crossed and locked gazes with her.

"Time to go, then," Rose said, grabbing her purse from the bed and walking out the door. She turned around a second later, realizing he hadn't followed, and found him looking down at his arms again. She laughed, retraced her steps, and wrapped her hand around his toned forearm. "Come on, Mr. Self-Conscious. Your arms are fine." She shifted her grip to his hand and entered the living room and kitchen area.

Mum was already waiting, a large beach bag over her shoulder. Her attire was similar to Rose's, while Tony ran around on the ground bare-chested with tiny swimming trunks and floaties on his arms. "We're going to the beach, Doctor!" the boy exclaimed, looking to his favorite role model.

"Maybe _we_ are," said the Doctor, stooping down and catching the toddler in midair, "but you most certainly are not." Tony squirmed in his grasp, laughing in a high-pitched squeak as the Doctor tickled him.

Rose smiled at the spectacle, marveling again at how the Doctor and Tony had become such fast friends. The Doctor had never blown the little boy off, even when he had asked silly questions or begged to play time lord versus monster (in which Tony was always the time lord) for the millionth time.

"Looks like the time lord's been captured by the Tickle Monster!" exclaimed Rose. "What's he gonna to do to stop him?"

That seemed to strengthen Tony's resolve. He furrowed his brow and kept a straight face. With a tiny fist free, he swung it at the Doctor's arm and made contact at his shoulder.

The Doctor dramatically stumbled backward into a couch, though he kept his hold on Tony. "You'll never defeat the Tickle Monster!" said the Doctor as he resumed tickling Tony.

"Sissy!" the toddler cried breathlessly amidst tears of mirth.

"Don't worry, Tony! I'll help you!" She put her hands on her hips as she stood by the couch. "Tickle Monster, I demand that you let him go."

"Why should I?" the Doctor answered in a mockingly ferocious voice.

"Because if you don't, I might just give you a taste of your own medicine." She smiled mischievously, and the Doctor almost cracked a smile back.

"Do your worst, Rose Tyler." He put on an arrogant look, his lips in a crooked half-smile as he tried to hold back laughter.

Forming a plan in her mind, Rose was ready to pounce on him, but just then Dad walked in and laughed at the scene. "Are you making a film in here?" he asked with a chortle.

"I'm a time lord, Daddy!" exclaimed Tony, reaching down to grab the blue tip of something which was poking out of the Doctor's shorts pocket. He pulled out the sonic screwdriver, pointed it up at the Doctor, and made it buzz like normal.

"Oh no!" said the Doctor, falling on his side with his face streaked with pain. "Not a sonic screwdriver! My only weakness!" He let Tony fall to the carpeted floor, though it was obvious that he made sure he deposited the boy on the ground safely.

"Yay!" Tony ran to Rose, pressing the sonic screwdriver button over and over again while the Doctor lay motionless on the couch, his eyes closed.

"The time lord saves the day again!" said Rose, lifting him up in the air and giving him a big hug.

"Everyone ready now?" asked Mum, looking around the room.

"Yeah, we're ready, Mum." Rose took the screwdriver from Tony, walked over to the couch, and poked the Doctor's side. His body tensed, but he didn't get up. Instead, he raised an open hand toward her.

"Come on, Doctor. I'm not giving you back your screwdriver until you get up."

One eye opened, and then the other. In one movement, he jumped up, grabbed the screwdriver out of her hands, and planted a soft kiss on her lips. He smiled at her after he pulled away and grasped her hand in his.

Rose let the Doctor lead as they followed behind her parents and closed the door behind them. She was still gathering her wits about her, considering this new side of the Doctor. Even a kiss like that, just for a few seconds, sent her mind into a crazy spin.

The Doctor's thumb glided over her knuckles, and he tugged on her hand so that they were shoulder to shoulder. "Everything all right in there?" He raised his free hand and tapped the side of her head gently.

"Yeah." She looked up at him, letting a smile peek through. She had used this excuse so many times, but it was true. "Just thinking."

"You're always thinking," he said almost as a little bit of a complaint. "Do I get to know what's going on in there?"

"It's not much," Rose admitted, feeling heat rush to her cheeks. "Mainly you."

"What about me?"

"Still getting used to the new you. I just don't understand..." she trailed off as they joined the rest of her family in the elevator. There were a few seconds of an awkward silence as smooth jazz music played from the speakers. As soon as the elevator doors opened, Mum and Dad led the way again while Rose and the Doctor lingered behind.

"When I see you," said Rose, trying to phrase it the right way, "I see the Doctor, the man I've known and loved for years. That's who you are."

He nodded in agreement.

"At the same time, you're different, but you still fit in with your character, the Doctor's character." She looked up at him hopefully. "Does that make sense?"

"Yes. What don't you understand?"

She frowned at the tiled floor of the hotel lobby. How could she say this without making it sound like she preferred the other Doctor over him? "It's not that I don't... I'm just wondering why he..."

"Come on, out with it. I can take it like a man. Half-man. Whatever I am." He smiled down at her, which gave her courage.

"Why didn't he ever...?"

"Tell you he loved you," the Doctor finished quietly as a statement.

"Yeah." Rose looked at the ground again and bit her lip. "I mean, I get the whole part about him being afraid of his memories, but he could have at least told me..."

"I know. I almost did, so many times. I've told you before," he said in a half-hearted joking voice, "I'm thick. That's why. Can't give any other reason." He sighed and added in a much softer voice, "And I'll bet he regrets that."

"Of course it needed saying," she muttered. And that was one of the reasons why she had finally accepted this Doctor; because he had been the one with enough love, enough courage to say it. He had been the first one to say he loved her.

He chuckled. "I can't take the blame for that one. I love you," he added as a soft whisper right next to her ear. His grip on her hand tightened as they walked outside into the blazing heat and garish sunlight.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you everyone for all the follows/favorites/reviews so far! PLEASE write reviews! They really do inspire me to keep writing, and I like seeing your reactions to the story. Things will be picking up in the next chapter! :)**

"Blimey!" exclaimed the Doctor, lowering his sunglasses onto his face. "Feels like I'm on the sun, not millions of miles away from it."

Rose smiled as she put on her own sunglasses. They tinted the scene considerably with a reddish hue, giving her eyes a rest from the glaring whiteness of the sand.

Mum and Dad set the umbrella down close to the water, along with the chairs, bag of food, and cooler. The Doctor helped Dad put the umbrella up while Rose and Mum set up the chairs and got out Tony's sand toys.

The Doctor approached Rose after the umbrella established shade over their area. "Right, then. What's first?" Before she could answer, the Doctor's brow crinkled in concern as he looked down at his feet. "Does the sand feel odd to anyone else?"

"That's because you're never around sand," observed Rose with a laugh at his concerned expression.

"I've been on plenty of sand, thank you," he said, looking back up and jumping up and down. He bent down and scooped up a handful of the substance in question, letting it fall steadily through his fingers. He brought it up close to his face and patted his chest, where his glasses would have normally rested in his jacket pocket. Rose realized that he must have had a pair when he had lived in Scotland, but hadn't brought them back. She carefully stored the thought in the back of her mind.

With a huff, the Doctor replenished the sand in his hand and felt it with his fingertips. His tongue darted out, got coated with sand, and then retracted back into his mouth.

Rose wasn't sure whether to be amused or repulsed; perhaps she was a little of both, though if anything it didn't surprise her. The Doctor spat and made a disgusted face. "Tastes like sand." He smacked his lips together. "But there's something else...something..." He looked back up to her. "Really, though, it doesn't feel strange to you at all?"

"Nope."

"Doctor!" Tony ran over and tugged on the Doctor's swimming trunks. "Will you build a sand castle with me?"

The Doctor's eyes shone with excitement. He placed his hand on the Tony's head, his shifting between the sand and the boy. Finally, he stood up with a huge grin. "Oh, we'll do more than that. We can make a sand empire, complete with castles, towers, villages, and even tiny people..."

"Thick as thieves, they are," Jackie said with a smile as they walked away.

"He adores kids," Rose said, settling into the chair next to her Mum. "Especially Tony."

"He'll be a good dad."

The sentence surprised Rose. First of all, her Mum giving the Doctor any sort of compliment was rare. Secondly, it brought to mind the thought of marriage. They hadn't talked about it; it was just understood that things were back to the way they had been in the other universe, only now with open affection. She wasn't even sure if he wanted to marry her; he would probably be content just traveling around as they were now. It was impossible to know what was going on in that mind of his.

"Tony's going to miss both of you when you're gone again," Mum continued.

"We'll come right back, Mum. You won't even know we've gone."

"Yeah, you always say that, but it never happens, and we're left here missing you." She turned in her chair and looked at Rose, raising her sunglasses so that she could see her serious eyes. "What are you gonna do when you have kids? You can't bring them on your adventures, it's too dangerous! You're going to have to settle down some time."

Again, her mother's words struck a chord. What she said had never occurred to Rose before, and she was sure it had never occurred to the Doctor either. Not that they were going to have kids anytime soon, anyway. But maybe settling down wouldn't be such a bad thing. They could get their own house, close to Mum and Dad, work at Torchwood like they used to, live ordinary lives...

"You're right, Mum," admitted Rose. "But we don't have to worry about that for a while."

"Well that's good to hear."

Rose shook her head. Again, leave it to her Mum.

For the next few hours, while the Doctor and Tony built their "empire," Rose talked with her parents and held a book in front of her eyes, but she couldn't focus enough to read the words on the page. Her mind was on the Doctor, and what her Mum had said. Rose also tried to get a little bit of a tan, though she didn't stay out in the sun too long because she knew she would burn easily.

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please."

Rose flipped over on her towel as she heard Tony's voice. He was standing just in front of Mum and Dad, the Doctor right behind him. The Doctor muttered something in a low voice, like he was giving Tony his lines.

"Together, the Doctor and I have constructed a vast empire made entirely out of sand. If you'll come this way, we can show it to you." Tony smiled up at the Doctor, who nodded his approval and grinned.

Rose got up with her parents and followed the Doctor and Tony a little further up on the beach where the sand was a little softer. There, stretching several feet in both directions, were massive towers, little huts, roads, and actual miniature people. Even a few horses dotted the landscape, and a mountain had been built on one side of the empire.

"You built this?" asked Pete, incredulous. "You could be sculptors."

"Rather not," said the Doctor. "Bad experiences." He winked at Rose, and she again remembered their trip to Rome.

"I want to be a sculptor!" said Tony with a proud gleam in his eyes that was all too familiar. He was picking up things from the Doctor very quickly.

"Maybe you will be," said Rose, smiling at her little brother, "if you keep up work like this."

"Look!" said Tony, pointing to the mountain. "I made that all by myself!" It was really just a pile of sand all thrown together.

"He did," the Doctor affirmed. "Anyone got any water around here?" he added after a moment.

Though Mum and Dad were too busy listening to Tony's accomplishments, Rose pointed him over to their umbrella. "In the cooler."

"Cold water. Even better."

Rose followed him back and watched him gulp down half of a water bottle and then let out a loud belch. She gave him a disapproving look.

"What?"

"Didn't anyone ever teach you manners?" she wondered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oi! I have plenty of manners!"

"I can see that." She rolled her eyes and shook her head. The argument stopped as Mum, Dad, and Tony came back.

"I'm a bit stiff after sitting there for so long," said the Doctor to Rose, flipping the water bottle in the air. "Fancy going on a walk with me?"

"Maybe." She grabbed the bottle out of midair and grinned. "If you use your manners."

"Fine," he huffed. Rose handed the water bottle back to him, and they began their walk down the beach. They talked idly about unimportant things until they were interrupted by a small dog running up to their feet and barking incessantly.

"I'm so sorry." An elderly woman with snow white hair came jogging up and scooped the dog up into her arms. It still barked at the Doctor and Rose, but calmed down a bit. "Daisy just gets a little too excited sometimes." The woman's accent was thick southern American.

"No harm done," said the Doctor in his charming, easygoing manner. Rose followed his gaze as he looked past the woman to see a faded umbrella with two seats under it, one vacant and the other occupied by an old man scribbling furiously on a legal pad. "What's he doing?"

The woman looked back, and then smiled at the Doctor. "My husband's a writer. He's going to get published one day. I would introduce you, but he doesn't like being interrupted. I'm Charlotte, by the way."

"I'm Rose." She shook Charlotte's hand with a smile.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor." He shook her hand likewise, his eyes lit up with his jovial mood. "Tell your husband good luck for me."

"I will. And I'm sorry about Daisy again."

"No worries," said Rose.

They continued on their way and got through their walk with no more incidents. However, upon arriving back at the umbrella, the Doctor stated that he wasn't feeling well. His face matched his words; his cheeks were flushed, and his eyes drooped sleepily. It was arranged that the two of them would go back up to the condo for the time being, though hopefully the Doctor would be feeling better soon.

"Since when do you get sick?" asked Rose as they trudged their way up the beach.

"I don't, not usually," said the Doctor, his tone much different than it had been just a few minutes earlier. "Even with a human body I rarely get sick."

"What's wrong exactly?"

"Head feels a bit odd, stomach's all out of whack..."

"The flu?" Rose wondered.

"Could be. Came on fast, though."

They made it up to the condo without much further conversation, though Rose was thinking of the Doctor the whole time. He didn't look so good. It was odd that his countenance could have changed so quickly... Had he eaten something rotten maybe? Or was it just a normal sickness?

The Doctor collapsed right onto his bed when they got into the condo. He groaned and closed his eyes. Rose pulled the blanket over him and stood by his side.

"Do you want to watch a movie or something to get your mind off it?"

He nodded.

"What movie?" She turned on the TV on the dresser across from his bed and accessed the movie menu. She browsed through the titles and smiled at the sight of one series the Doctor had made her watch and re-watch countless times. "What about Star Wars?"

"Episode five," he mumbled. "It's the best."

Rose put it on, and the Doctor raised himself up a little in his bed so he could see. Rose wasn't really tired, but she didn't want to leave him alone, so she looked down at him, feeling like a concerned mum.

"Need anything else?"

He shook his head, eyes on the screen.

Well, there was nothing better to do but watch it with him. Rose clambered up next to him and laid her head on his chest.

"Sure about that?" he asked, putting an arm around her at the same time. His skin was a little warmer than usual. "I could get you sick, and we wouldn't want that."

"I'll take my chances." She snuggled into him, and his arm tightened around her. Within minutes, he was asleep, his heavy breathing telling of his slumber. Rose, however, stayed up for the entire movie before drifting off into a light nap.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! Keep 'em comin'! And I also really appreciate all the follows and favorites. You all inspire me to keep writing. :) I know I'm only posting once a week now, and I'm sorry, I wish I could do more but I'm really swamped right now getting ready for college auditions. After March things should calm down a little bit and I'll be able to post a little more often. Thanks for sticking with me! :)**

Rose was tossed to the side and landed on her shoulder on the other side of the bed. She scrambled up into a sitting position and gathered her wits about her just in time to see the Doctor dash into the bathroom. She jumped up, followed him, and arrived in the doorway just in time to see him empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. After he was done, he sighed and slumped against the wall, grabbing a piece of toilet paper to wipe his mouth with. He looked up at her with a slightly annoyed expression.

"Human body," he muttered disdainfully. "So fragile."

Rose sat right up against him and ran a hand through his hair, scratching his scalp gently as she went along. Sweat beaded his forehead, and his skin was burning hot.

"It's the flu for sure," she stated. It was so pitiful to see him in such a state; him, the Doctor, the savior of the universe, subject to such a common human sickness. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." He sniffed and then sighed. "Must be one of those rare occasions when I get sick. Never had the flu, though. Not fun, is it?" He looked down and patted his stomach. "Everything's just...gone."

Rose fought a smile at his disdainful expression. "What can I do? Do you need a cool cloth or water or something?"

"Water," he stated immediately. "Cold."

"And I think you need to lay down."

He groaned in his throat. His forehead crinkled, and he pushed against the wall with his arms to try to stand. Rose jumped up and grabbed his hands, trying to help him onto his feet.

"Thank you," he said as he stood up. But before Rose could let go, he wrapped his arms around her in a hug. "Really, thank you." He pulled away and attempted a small smile. "No one's taken care of me for a very long time."

"Someone's got to." She smiled and gently nudged him toward his bed. "Now off to bed you go."

"Yes ma'am." He shuffled to his bed and dropped down onto the mattress with a sigh. A big shudder traveled throughout his body and he pulled the comforter over himself.

Rose went out to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator. Just the sight of it reminded her that she hadn't drank anything in several hours, but she could wait. She turned to go back to the room, but on a sudden thoguht reached up into a cabinet and grabbed a bottle of ibuprofen pills and brought them back to the Doctor's bedside.

"Can you sit up for a minute?" she asked quietly. He obeyed and leaned against the bed frame. Rose handed him the water bottle, and he ripped the cap off and began to down it as soon as it was in his hands.

"Not so fast!" She grabbed the end of the water bottle and eased it back down from his mouth. He raised his eyebrows in question at her, and she presented the bottle of pills.

The Doctor made a disgusted face. "Oh, not those."

"It'll bring your temperature down. Look, all you do is swallow it. They don't even taste like anything."

He sighed in submission and held out his hand. She dropped two of the small, red tablets into his palm. Bringing them up to his face, he scrutinized them before tossing them into his mouth and draining the rest of the water. He swallowed hard and his eyebrows drew together.

"Not bad. I thought you were lying about the taste."

She grinned at him. "I wouldn't lie to you."

"Mmmm..." He settled back down into his bed and closed his eyes. "Not sure if I believe that."

"Are you cold?"

He nodded. "Keep getting chills."

"That's not good. Maybe you should just use a sheet."

"Too cold," he muttered.

"We'll see how the ibuprofen works first, then. Anything else you need?"

He patted the empty space next to him and, opening his eyes, gave her a hopeful look. "A hand to hold." His hand emerged from beneath the blanket, open and waiting.

Rose sat on the edge of the bed and placed her hand in his. His hold was warm and comforting, easing her into a more relaxed state. She watched as he drifted off into sleep, still holding her hand. Her throat felt more and more like sandpaper as she swallowed, but she didn't want to leave him to go get water.

She wondered what he dreamed about. Emotions flickered across his face; fear and pain, for the most part. Could it be memories of the Time War? Thoughts of his family or of his extinct race?

Rose tentatively reached out and delicately traced his features with her fingertips. He didn't stir, but a small sigh escaped his lips and the tension in his muscles slackened.

Time was in another world. Rose let her mind wander about life in this universe, about the Doctor, about her family... Meanwhile the Doctor slept soundly, his skin still hot to the touch.

There was a creak in the floorboards from the living room. Rose hadn't heard the door open or close, but she slipped her hand from the Doctor's and got up anyway. Mum and Dad were probably just trying to be quiet for the Doctor.

She froze as she stepped outside of the room. At a first glance, it was definitely alien with four arms, a skin tight white suit, and very short, stubby legs. There was only one of them, and it looked straight up at her, though no skin or expression was visible because of the suit and a helmet with a closed visor.

The alien grunted, and a thin, metal rod shot out from one of its hands. It began to hum and glow yellow, which Rose figured wasn't a good sign. As the creature advanced toward her, she rushed back into the other room, closed the door, and locked it behind her.


	11. Chapter 11

"Doctor!" Rose hissed, running over to him and shaking his frame violently. He would normally jump right up, but this time he groaned and rolled over. Of course. Just when she needed him most.

Rose huffed as the door handle jiggled. She threw the blankets off of the Doctor and reached into his pocket. Her fingers locked around his sonic screwdriver, pulled it out, and, remembering how the Doctor had taught her the basics of its operation, soniced the door handle, hoping that it would hold off the alien.

There was a loud thump, and the wood doorframe bent inward.

"Doctor!" Rose wrapped her arms around his waist and heaved him out of bed, dragging him across the floor as he slowly woke up, rubbing his arm across his eyes. In a few seconds, he jumped up out of her grasp, wide awake and alert.

"Rose! What-? Oh..." He leaned back against the wall and pressed his hands against his stomach. "I think I'm going to be sick again..."

"Not now!" She pointed at the door. "There's an alien trying to get in there. I soniced it, but it's going to bust through the door." She lowered her voice. "If we go through Mum and Dad's room, we can go out their door and be right next to the door of the condo."

The Doctor nodded, but at the same time took labored breaths. He had faint, dark circles around his eyes, and his face was flushed. His hands were clenched into fists, and his jaw was taut.

"Can you hold it at all?"

"I can try. Come on." He ran past her and grabbed her hand with the sonic in it. After maneuvering it into his other hand, he soniced the door that led to Mum and Dad's room. At the same moment, Rose heard the door to their room explode into a thousand pieces.

They ran through the room and out the door, going straight out the door of the condo after that. The Doctor whipped around and soniced it. "This door's thicker. That should hold it for a while." He breathed a long sigh, closing his eyes for a moment and biting his lip. "We have to keep going. Come on!" He began a mad dash again, taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Rose panted as they burst through the lobby door and dashed straight through the middle, receiving odd looks.

"The beach. There are too many people there for them to pick either of us out. For the time being, we'll be-" The Doctor skidded to a halt as he came into the pool area, filled with several of the aliens like the one in the condo. "Safe," he muttered under his breath.

Rose scanned the area, looking for some sort of escape like she was sure the Doctor was doing. He squeezed her hand. "They're blocking every exit," he murmured.

"I know," she sighed. "What do we do?"

"Improvise."

As the aliens closed in, the Doctor lifted his sonic and turned around in circles, pointing it at them. They all produced those metal rods and continued trapping them in a circle. The Doctor and Rose were now pressed back to back.

"Plan?"

"Well..."

The Doctor jolted against her before he could get any further. Rose's limbs went numb for a shocking second, and then a blanket of darkness coated her vision.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Again, guys, sorry about the delay. But my first audition is over with now- phew! So that means I should be able to update a little more often for the next couple weeks. Hopefully. Please review, follow, and favorite, and thank you to everyone who has done so! You guys are awesome!**

Rose became alert immediately. She tried to stand up, but her head hit something hard. Looking up, she found that there was a very short ceiling above her.

"Careful there," came the calm voice from beside her. She sighed with relief as she looked over to see the Doctor leaning against the wall next to her, a tired smile on his face. His complexion was still very pale, and a sheen of sweat coated his skin.

"You're awake!"

In looking over the Doctor, she hadn't even noticed the two men on the other side of the gleaming white cell they were in. But suddenly Dad was rushing toward her in a crouch and wrapping her in a hug.

"Dad?" she asked in surprise, examining the other older man who had been with him over his shoulder. "But where are-?"

"Jacks and Tony weren't feeling well," he explained. "We went back up a few hours after you and the Doctor left. There was an alien waiting for us there."

"But why aren't they here?" wondered Rose. "And why _are _we?"  
"I don't know." The Doctor cut in and nodded at the old man who now seemed strangely familiar. "He was a witness to someone being taken too, just like Pete. The author, remember?"

Rose's mind flashed back to her walk with the Doctor and their encounter with the old woman and her dog. This must be her husband, the aspiring writer. Had she ever told them his name...?

"Tell her what happened, Don."

Don made his way over from the opposite wall, his back stooped so that he just missed the ceiling. He must have been taller when he stood up, perhaps even six foot or more. Though wrinkles covered his features and a big nose was prominent in the middle of his face, he didn't seem old in nature. There was a youthfulness in his eyes that made him seem younger than he looked. But right now, those eyes were dimmed with a mistiness. Don's hands trembled as he sat down in front of Rose, his mouth set in a frown.

"Daisy and I went back up to the hotel and she laid down for a nap while I read the paper," he began in a deep, shaking voice. "Suddenly the door burst open and this thing- an alien, I guess- ran right past me and into the room where Daisy was. I went after it best I could, but it pulled out this glowing rod and hit me. When I woke up, I was here with you folks."

"We'll find Daisy, Don," the Doctor assured, leaning forward to lay a hand on his shoulder. "Don't you worry."

"So how do we get out of here?" Rose looked between the three of them, figuring they would have figured out something in the time they had been awake.

"Well..." The Doctor scratched the back of his head. "We're still figuring that one out. It's completely sealed- we can't even find the door."

"The ceiling?"

He shook his head. "We searched every wall and the ceiling, but there's no sort of crack or anything. No one's come in since we've been here."

"Did you use the sonic?"

The Doctor opened his mouth and then closed it. His brows furrowed together and he answered in a defeated voice, "No."

"You have your sonic screwdriver?" Dad asked with exasperation, running a hand over his face.

"I just didn't think of it. Being sick doesn't help with fighting aliens, you know." He swallowed hard and bit his lip, a telltale sign that he was keeping his sickness down.

"Maybe you're just gettin' old," Rose teased, reaching out for the sonic that he pulled from his pocket.

"Never too old for you, Miss Tyler," he said in his flirtatious voice, obviously trying his hardest to act like he wasn't about to heave up his guts. At the same time, he pulled his hand back from her reach. "And certainly not too old to scan a cell with my sonic screwdriver."

Rose cocked an eyebrow at him. "Don't even pretend like you're not sick. You just need to rest, mister."

"Rest is for humans."

"Which is what you are!" she reminded him for the millionth time, crawling over him to reach the sonic screwdriver.

"Only half!" he argued, still holding it just out of her grasp.

Dad cleared his throat. "Um...so what's the plan?"

A hissing sounded from the walls, and Rose finally tore the sonic from the Doctor's hands as he tensed up. She smiled smugly up at him, but he paid no attention. He sniffed, and his brow furrowed. A second later, his eyes widened.

"Don't breathe!" he warned in a small voice before taking a huge gulp of air. Rose copied his action, as did Dad. However, Don, who was closest to the walls, began coughing and gasping.

Rose looked at the Doctor in alarm. He held out his hand, and she placed the screwdriver in it without question. He leaped up and ran around the cell, his screwdriver buzzing against to the walls.

As the air clouded thick with gas that stung her eyes, Rose knew only one thing: they weren't meant to survive this.


End file.
